Jaelyn

1. The sights and sounds of Art Building West. I know I’ve pitched for ABW before, but it’s easily my favorite spot on campus, so why not?! I love sitting outside for a couple minutes (when it’s warm of course) and eating lunch or relaxing. It’s quiet, scenic and serene, all of which make this building a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of the rest of campus.
   

   Enjoying the great outdoors at Art Building West

   

2. An Iowa football game. There’s something magical about getting to cheer on the Hawkeyes with 70,000 other Iowa fans. I was immediately hooked on Iowa football after my very first game my freshman year, and I’ve been getting season tickets ever since.
   

   Blackout game against Minnesota

3. Something new. This is pretty vague, but it’s super important to try something completely different at one point or another. I attended Grapple on the Gridiron, the wrestling team’s outdoor match at Kinnick Stadium this year. The event was a lot of fun, and I got to be a part of a crowd that shattered the NCAA record for attendance at a Division I wrestling match. I’ll admit that I knew nothing about wrestling before I went, but I had a good time, and I think I’ll attend more matches in the future.
   

   More than 42,000 fans came to watch Iowa defeat #1 Oklahoma State

4. A sunset or sunrise on the Pentacrest. I admittedly haven’t experienced either yet, though I’ve been pretty close. So hopefully one of these days I’ll be able to cross this off my to-do list.
5. Stargazing at Van Allen Hall. Did you know Van Allen has a rooftop observatory? The observatory is open to university students a couple days a week, and I’d highly recommend taking advantage of this resource. I attended an event here for the supermoon eclipse back in September and I will definitely be back for stargazing sometime. The views of the sky and Iowa City are great!

Hi everyone,

I looked back at my old posts and realized it’s been quite a while since I last blogged. I’ve been busy as usual, and I will have even more on my plate this year than in the past, because I’m now enrolled in the College of Pharmacy. All first-year (aka P1) students go through a two-week orientation event, which started this Monday. I’m not super thrilled about starting classes a week early while all my other friends are still enjoying summer break, but I am excited about starting pharmacy school and working towards getting my Doctor of Pharmacy degree. For me, staying in Iowa City for pharmacy school was a no-brainer; the program is nationally ranked, UIHC is an amazing resource, and I’ve enjoyed my two years here, so I didn’t see any reason to leave.

Residence hall move-in has started, and I’ve noticed quite a few young, eager, and nervous faces around campus. Seeing new freshmen makes me a little sentimental. Two years ago, I was a freshman moving into Daum Hall, and here I am now, in pharmacy school. Time really does fly, and I have tons and tons of great memories of my freshman year. Here are a few tips for new students and their families:

For students:

1. Be brave and step out of your comfort zone. I’ve probably mentioned this in another blog post, but can’t stress this enough. This can take many forms, depending on the person. For me, stepping out of my comfort zone meant starting conversations with people I’d never met before. Of course it was a little scary, but 99.9% of people I talked to in my first few weeks on campus were super nice. I was able to make friends pretty easily, and this helped me transition very well to college life.
2. Expect the unexpected. Social media paints a certain picture of college, and a lot of students believe their college experience will be like what’s portrayed on the internet. Yes, college is fun, but it can also be pretty stressful, and things aren’t always going to go as planned. Chances are, you probably aren’t going to get along with everyone you meet, you’ll probably oversleep and miss a class at some point, and other issues will pop up out of nowhere. Unplanned things are going to happen. It’s important to realize this and learn to be flexible.
3. Remember that ultimately, you came to college to get an education. It’s important to take time off from studying to relax and have fun, but some students will get caught up in the excitement of college and forget that grades still matter. Try to find a good balance between work and play — it’s a lot harder than it looks.

For parents:

1. Care packages and letters every now and then are a great idea. Especially during midterms or finals week, it’s super awesome to get a piece of mail from home. I even got a couple of cards from my mom this week wishing me luck as I start pharmacy school. Little things like these are a nice surprise.
2. Continue to encourage and support your son or daughter. Everyone changes when they come to college; it’s pretty much inevitable. Chances are, your son or daughter is not going to follow the exact path you want them too, and that’s okay. The best thing you can do as a parent is to support their decisions, be encouraging, and offer some good advice.

All-in-all, college is a really exciting time. It can be intimidating at first, but after a couple of weeks new students start to settle in, and most begin to realize just how awesome it is to be a Hawkeye! I’m extremely glad I decided to come to the University of Iowa as a high school senior and I’m excited that I’ll be able to spend a few more years at such a fabulous university!

Hey!

I know I’ve been MIA for a while, but in my defense I had a pretty hectic semester. I started working in the Iowa City area in August, so one of my biggest projects for the semester was to figure out how to balance work, classes, and everything else in an effective way. I really enjoy my job, not only because it gives me much-needed experience for my field of study, but because it’s a break from the constant studying I usually do. Plus, having a little extra spending money never hurts! Overall, this semester was a roller coaster, and I’m honestly glad it’s over. I started off strong, but slacked a bit in the middle of the year, and found myself scrambling to catch up on all the material I needed to know for my finals. For me, Finals Week consisted of two almost-all-nighters (I got two or three hours of sleep on those days), attempting to learn 41 chapters of material in 14 hours (not a good idea), and lots of candy to keep me awake (also not a good idea). I’ve learned plenty of lessons over the past few months, and I’m looking to bring those into the new year so I can improve myself. We’ve all heard it a million times already and it’s really cheesy, but I’m trying to adopt the “new year, new me” attitude as I step into 2015. I think that having a whole month off from classes will help me recuperate and prepare for the spring semester. I know I’ll have my work cut out for me again, but I’ll have plenty of opportunities to succeed and prosper in the new year, and I’m more than ready to take advantage of those and make 2015 awesome!

Move-in is quickly approaching! Last year, I was super excited for Move-In Day and started packing an entire month before I was set to move into my dorm. This time around, I’ve just started packing today, which I’m realizing was a very bad idea. I’m super excited to get back to Iowa City, but I got done with summer classes last Friday, went on a short family vacation, and now am completely exhausted and overwhelmed by the fact that I have to go through all of my stuff and repack. Needless to say, I will be spending my last few days at home frantically packing my things.

Here are a few items I think are must-haves for college and dorm living:

1. A fan. Most dorm rooms have air conditioning, but if you’re one of the lucky ones assigned to a room without air conditioning, you will be miserable for the first few weeks. I also got a ton of use out of my fan in once the heat was turned on in my dorm. My fan was pretty small, but it got the job done, plus it was easy to store when I wasn’t using it.
2. A reusable water bottle. It’s a pain to have to walk down the hall in the middle of the night just to get a drink. You’ll also be saving the environment and be able to use the fun water bottle filling stations all around campus, so this is a win-win situation.
3. An alarm clock. I tend to sleep through my phone alarm pretty often, so an alarm clock was a must-have for me.
4. Pictures. Pictures of friends and family can really cheer you up if you’re missing home, plus they add a touch of color and personality to an otherwise drab dorm wall.
5. Comfortable shoes. You WILL get blisters if you don’t wear good shoes.

Other tips:

1. Figure out where your classes are BEFORE the first day. Some buildings are pretty confusing, so it’s a good idea to try to find the exact room your class will be held in.
2. Ride the Cambus a few times when you first get to campus. Learning the Cambus routes is a trial-and-error process. Chances are you’ll probably get on the wrong bus a few times, but that’s okay! Once you get the system down, it’s pretty simple. Figure out which routes go to the dorms (Blue, Red, Interdorm, and Hawkeye Interdorm). Also: Blue to Burge (East Side), Red to Rienow (West Side).
3. Step out of your comfort zone. It can be scary, but chances are you won’t regret it. I didn’t know anyone when I came to the university, and now I have a great group of friends that I’m really close to. Because I stepped out of my comfort zone, I was able to make friends quickly and it made my transition to college a lot easier. Even if you have friends that will also be attending Iowa, it’s worthwhile to make new friends too.

Finally, remember to have fun, and Go Hawks!

Second semester has been wild! This semester has taught me that it’s extremely important to study, do homework, and perform well on exams, but at the same time, it’s crucial to take a break every now and then and do something fun. The past two or three weeks for me have been filled with midterms, papers, and late nights at the library. It’s been great to finally have a little less work to complete for now, but finals (and summer!) are just around the corner. One of my roommates for next year was kind enough to invite me and a few other girls over for s’mores and Mean Girls last Thursday night. It was nice to have a few hours of fun and relaxation, not to mention a change of scenery (Disclaimer: I love campus, but sometimes a girl just needs to get away for a bit!). My family came to visit me over the weekend and we had a fabulous time shopping and exploring Iowa City. The warm weather even allowed for a lovely time strolling the streets of downtown!

In other news, the end of the school year is approaching quickly, and It’s crazy to think that there are only three weeks left of the semester. Looking back over the past eight months, it’s amazing how much I’ve changed and how many new things I’ve experienced. I’ve come to the realization that college goes by extremely fast, and time really does fly when you’re having fun! It’s a little sad that this amazing year of college is almost over, but I know I’ll still keep in touch with my friends and cherish the memories I’ve made for years to come. A year ago, I still hadn’t decided to come to the University of Iowa (I think I officially decided April 26th). After all the emotions of moving away from home to a new place where I didn’t know anyone, I’m beyond pleased with my decision to come to Iowa. I can honestly say that I can’t see myself being anywhere else, and believe me, that’s an amazing feeling!

Hey everyone, since arriving back in Iowa City a few weeks ago, I’ve reminded myself at least once or twice a week that I need to keep up with my blogging. I’m quite busy this semester, but here are a few highlights so far:

1. I celebrated Chinese New Year. There are a few international students from China living on my floor, and they were kind enough to put together a Chinese New Year celebration for everyone. They did a fabulous job! I was able to sample authentic Chinese food, learn about Chinese culture, and even received a few goodies!
   Candy, money, and red envelopes are common gifts that children receive from their parents during Chinese New Year.
2. I became CPR certified. Student Health & Wellness puts on Red Watch Band, a program that provides CPR and alcohol bystander training for anyone that’s a student at the university. I figured this would be a great opportunity, especially since I now have training that could possibly save someone’s life.
3. I started volunteering. After visiting the Volunteer Fair at the beginning of the semester, I found a local organization to volunteer with. Giving back to the community and being able to help those in need is very rewarding, and I’d highly recommend it to everyone.
4. I’ve studied… a lot! Compared to last semester, I’m putting in a lot more time outside of class. I easily study at least three or four hours a day. It can be extremely exhausting, but hopefully my hard work will pay off in the end!
5. Hawkeye basketball. The atmosphere in Carver is AMAZING! Nothing’s better than getting to cheer on a nationally ranked basketball team with 15,000 of your closest friends!
   
   Seconds after a big win against Michigan a few Saturdays ago. Go Hawks!
6. Snow. I have come to really dread snow, especially because I’m pretty sure it’s snowed at least once a week since the semester started. Hopefully spring is right around the corner, because I’m not sure how much more snow I can take!

First off, yes, I am aware that I haven’t written a post in two months. My last post was ironically called “The Procrastination Bug” — looks like I’ve been bitten again…

Finals Week and the weeks leading up to it are super stressful. I was fortunate enough to only have two finals this semester, but I felt the pressure, too. I personally started studying a little bit late for finals and then freaked out once I realized that I still had a ton of material to review. I’ve discovered that a week is a good amount of time to study for a midterm, but it’s nowhere near enough time to study a semester’s-worth of material for multiple classes. The light at the end of the tunnel is the fact that once finals are over, students get a whole month off for winter break! I’m definitely enjoying my time off and really like the fact that I’m able to stay inside most of the day and not have to venture out into the cold. This brings me to my next point: Iowa weather. I’m from the Midwest, but I was shocked by how extreme the weather was this December. There were several days where the temperature started off below zero and didn’t get much warmer than that. It snowed a few times, too. It is VERY important to dress appropriately and stock up on plenty of cold-weather gear. Gloves, scarves, hats, boots, and a warm coat are the obvious things, but I’d also recommend thermal leggings to wear as an extra layer under pants – they really do help.

Here’s a bonus tip: a lot more people choose to ride the buses when it gets colder, so if you value personal space and want to for-sure get to class on time, take an earlier bus or brave the cold and walk.

It’s week 12 of the semester and I have unfortunately succumbed to the procrastination bug. For me (and probably for most students), procrastination leads to stress and last-minute cramming efforts. Last week, I had three papers to write along with the usual chemistry and calculus homework to do. Writing papers isn’t exactly my cup of tea, and I ultimately had zero motivation to write any of them. In the end, I got them all done, but that was on Sunday night, which is usually when I try to take things easy. The thing that makes college hard is all the distractions. It can be really hard to balance school and social things, and it’s essentially up to you whether or not you want to do your work. To add to my list of daily distractions, I recently discovered that TBS plays episodes of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” every morning for two hours… the struggle is real. So, I’ve decided to make a change this week, and will be isolating myself in the library so I’m forced to get work done. My plan is to (hopefully) study hard during the day and relax later… we’ll have to see how this turns out.

When it comes to stress, everyone feels it at some point. The big difference is how each person handles it. I’ve found that working out is a great stress-reliever – I can sweat all my worries away! Physical activity is CRUCIAL in college! It’s really easy to sit around and do nothing, or worse, become someone who eats just because they’re bored (like me). The Freshman 15 is not a joke. I repeat, the Freshman 15 is not a joke! I haven’t gained fifteen pounds since starting college, but let’s just say I’ve certainly felt the effects of unlimited meal swipes and the all-you-can-eat dining. My advice: get into a workout routine and follow it, and limit yourself in the dining hall. And, get your work done early! I’ve been at the library for an hour and a half today so far, and I’ve been pretty productive, but I still have things to do. Writing this post has been a nice break from studying, and now I’m ready to hit the books again!

The temperature is cooling down and the leaves are beginning to change colors. Fall is in the air! This also means Midterms (yuck!) and Homecoming Week (yay!), which are both going on this week for me. Luckily, I only have one Midterm. I’ll definitely be busy studying for that and doing homework for other classes, but I’ll hopefully have time to take part in a few Homecoming events here and there throughout the week. I’m super excited to see how Homecoming is handled here in Iowa. I’ve noticed that people around here have a LOT of Hawkeye spirit, so I’m sure this week will be awesome. The atmosphere at Kinnick on Saturdays is always amazing, and I’m sure this Saturday will be no different. My dorm hosted a “Prep Rally” on Saturday to prepare for this week’s festivities, complete with ice cream and crafts – a great combination if you ask me! My floor designed and decorated our bulletin board for the campus-wide bulletin board competition. I think it looks pretty good, so hopefully we’ll win! To my surprise, the lobby of my dorm was also beautifully decorated and decked out in tons of black and gold. So here’s to a great week of Homecoming events and Midterms! Go Hawks!

In just a few hours, the lobby of Daum was transformed!

This year I have the privilege of being a resident of the exclusive Daum Penthouse…just kidding! I do live on the top floor of Daum, but my room is FAR from being considered anywhere near luxurious. Nevertheless, there are good things and bad things about Daum, just like any residence hall.

The Good

• The location- As they stress on nearly every HGTV show, location, location, location! The location of Daum is great! It’s the closest dorm to the Pentacrest (a 5 or 6 minute walk) and right next to Burge, which houses the dining hall for the east side of campus. There’s also an underground tunnel that connects Daum to Burge, which will be convenient during the winter and on rainy days. The dorm is also connected to the Blank Honors Center which offers a lot of resources for students in the Honors program, and if I’m in the BHC studying late at night, I can use the skywalk to safely get back into Daum instead of venturing outside.

The view from my room is great!

• It’s quiet- Daum is the Honors dorm and has continuous quiet hours. Don’t worry, being in Daum isn’t like living in a library; occasionally there’s someone loud in the hallway or someone playing loud music but it’s manageable and temporary. It gets pretty quiet around 11 each night, and I haven’t had any issues with being woken up by loud neighbors.
• The closet space- I’m very pleased with the amount of closet space I have. My closet is 4 to 5 feet deep and wide enough to fit a dresser in. There are three different bars to hang clothes on and a nice storage space at the top of the closet. I’d like to point out that none of the closets in Daum have doors. I bought an adjustable curtain rod and a long curtain to hang in front of the closet. If my closet is messy, I just have to close the curtain and not have to worry about cleaning it up!

I’m able to easily fit all of my summer clothes in my closet

• The bathrooms- A few of the residence halls have newly-renovated bathrooms, including Daum. The usual community-style layout has been replaced with a much more private, pod-like design. There are six rooms with showers and one with just a toilet and sink, and one sink not in a room. So far I’ve only had to wait for a shower room twice, and both times were for less than 5 minutes. I’ve started getting up a few minutes earlier and since then I haven’t had any problems.

A bathroom pod in Daum

• The friendly residents- I haven’t had any issues with rude people so far. People tend to leave their doors open a lot (on all the floors I’ve visited), and that really helps contribute to a welcoming environment.

The Bad:

• The room size- This is mainly an issue for the 7^th and 8^th floors. My room has a decent amount of space, but the dimensions of the room are a little strange. My room is around 9.5 feet wide and 21 feet long. The rooms on the lower floors and some of the rooms on the ends of my hall (coincidentally right next door to me) are a lot bigger, probably 5-6 feet wider.

My room isn’t very big but I’ve tried to make it feel as cozy as possible

• There aren’t many meeting areas- The lobby of Daum is pretty dead. It’s also really small compared to the lobby of Burge. I feel like it’s a little bit hard to meet people from other floors because there aren’t really any big spaces for everyone to gather in. Each floor has a nice-sized lounge, and I’m looking forward to using that in the future.

Overall, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives, and I’m really happy living in Daum. It’s the Honors dorm on campus, so if you are interested in living here you have to be invited to join the honors program and accept that invitation. I think this is going to be a great place to live and I love it so far!